Indictment returned

Thursday

Aug 7, 2014 at 9:35 AM

Edmond man charged with illicit sexual conduct.

SNS

A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Matthew Lane Durham, 19, from Edmond, with traveling from Oklahoma City to Kenya to engage in illicit sexual conduct with children, announced Sanford C. Coats, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.

According to the indictment and other court records, Durham was a volunteer at the Upendo Children’s Home, located in Nairobi, Kenya. Upendo specializes in assisting neglected Kenyan children by providing them with food, housing, clothes, school and religion. Specifically, the indictment alleges three counts: Count 1 alleges that Durham traveled from Will Rogers World Airport to Nairobi, Kenya, for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with persons under 18 years of age; Count 2 alleges that Durham engaged in illicit sexual conduct with several minors under 18 years of age; and Count 3 alleges aggravated sexual abuse when he crossed a state line with intent to engage in a sexual act with a child under 12 years of age. The conduct in all three counts is alleged to have occurred between April 30, 2014, and June 17, 2014.

If convicted, Durham faces up to life in prison. Durham is currently detained. The public is reminded that Durham is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Reference is made to the indictment and court record for further information.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Embassy in Kenya, and the United States Department of State Diplomatic Security Criminal Investigative Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Don Gifford II, and David P. Petermann.